cat lactating

Question
Hi, My cat had kittens that are now in new homes but she is very heavy with milk and i am worried that she might burst. Will this painfull period last long or should i take her to the vet? is there any medication that will stop her lactating? Thank you.

Answer
Carol,

Normally, after the kittens have stopped nursing, it takes a couple of weeks (2-3 weeks) for the unused milk to get reabsorbed.  At first the mammaries get hard (called "packing up") and then the mama's body reabsorbs all the milk.  You can try a SLIGHT amount of olive oil to ease the discomfort some; however, we just let nature take its course.

Best regards... Norm.